Israeli companies’ defensive wares on display at arms show in Britain

LONDON – Israeli weapons makers Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Elbit Systems and Rafael Advanced Defence Systems displayed mostly defensive hardware at the DSEI arms show in London after the British government banned official delegations from the country.

State-owned IAI’s booth showed models and promotional material for many of its top-line products, including its Barak and Arrow air and missile defence systems. Rafael, also government-owned, displayed Stunner missiles and the Iron Beam laser, both air defence systems. Elbit showcased mostly uncrewed aerial systems such as its Hermes 900.

Those are typically seen as defensive or non-lethal – a critical distinction at a sensitive moment for the companies and the Israeli government.

IAI and Elbit, Israel’s largest defence company, declined to comment. Rafael didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

“We support the UK government in ensuring that UK law is maintained at the event through our compliance processes,” a spokesperson from DSEI UK 25 said.

Britain in late August

restricted official participation of Israeli government

and military personnel at the event. Israel’s Ministry of Defence withdrew from the exhibition, saying that Britain had introduced “political considerations wholly inappropriate for a professional defence industry exhibition”.

Protesters gathered outside the show at Excel London this week, waving signs and shouting slogans decrying Israel’s military actions in Gaza. On Sept 9,

Israel struck targets inside Doha

, the capital of Qatar, which had been moderating talks between Israel and Hamas.

DSEI organisers said they were expecting about 50,000 people to attend over four days, and that 42 per cent of the exhibitors were at the show for the first time.

The annual conference historically has been overshadowed by alternating air shows in Paris and Farnborough, England, but the London event has received extra attention in 2025 in the wake of European pledges to increase defence spending.

At the Paris Air Show in June, organisers acting under instructions from the French government blocked off the exhibits of several Israeli weapons makers, including displays from IAI, Elbit and Rafael. France’s foreign ministry said at the time that it couldn’t accept the promotions of weapons that could be used by Israel in Gaza.

Organisers of the Dubai Air Show, set to take place in the United Arab Emirates in November, have notified several Israeli companies that they won’t be allowed to participate, Bloomberg News reported on Sept 11, citing an unnamed senior official.

DSEI is a defence-focused event organised by the British Ministry of Defence. Exhibitors include governments, established companies such as BAE Systems and Lockheed Martin, start-ups and service providers.

The British Ministry of Defence said in a statement that “this Israeli government’s decision to further escalate its military operation in Gaza is wrong” but that it was open to changing its decision if Israel demonstrated its commitment to humanitarian law.

The statement noted that Israeli companies would be allowed to attend DSEI, and did not differentiate between state-owned and private firms. BLOOMBERG